Twilight Town Days
by kidviral
Summary: Twin brothers, Roxas and Ventus have always lived in the peaceful serenity of Twilight Town, but when they meet a certain young girl, their world is turned upside down as the mysteries of a forgotten past begins to unravel.
1. Starting A New Journey

Twilight Town Days

Disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts is the property of Disney and Square Enix.

Chapter 1: Starting A New Journey

The sun rose across the city while glimpses of twilight lingered on. The smell of early morning car exhaust filled the air and the clanking sound of the local tram could be heard all over the city, Twilight Town could get very active in the morning. Roxas sat next to his bedroom window looking down at the cobble road as his classmates made their way to school. The young boy would occasionally chuckle as one or two people stumbled across a hidden pothole in front of their street. He stood up, yawning and stretching his hands as he quickly dressed up. He made his way down the stairs and into the kitchen, already seeing his brother eating. He noticed a plate of hotcakes on top of the kitchen table waiting for him.

"Up already, Ven?" Roxas playfully mocked his spiky-haired twin as he took the seat next to him. "Usually by now I would yelling at you to wake up."

"I don't always wake up late," Ven pouted his lips at his older brother. Although Roxas was only a couple minutes older, sometime Ven felt that Roxas treated him as if the gap between them was in years. "And look who's talking, it's already half past nine and your just getting up."

"Hey, I would have woken up earlier if a certain someone didn't force me to play his silly little video games all night," Roxas teased his little brother.

"Oh now its my fault?" Ven grinned and poked his brother's cheeks. "You know you could have stopped playing at any time."

"And leave my little brother all by himself? What kind of big brother would I be?" Roxas grinned as he softly patted his brother's blonde head.

"You're only older by two minutes," Ven swatted away his brothers hand. "And stop treating me like a kid."

The two burst into laughter, enjoying each others jokes and jibes. Many of their friends admired the bond they shared, even after the tragedies they've experienced, they were always there for each other. Whenever someone would ask how they could be so close, the two would simply reply "because we're twins."

Roxas drenched his pancakes with syrup, taking a bite and giving an approving hum. "This is good."

"Thanks," Ven confidently smiled at his brother's compliment. "It's mom's recipe, I thought you'd like it."

Roxas' hands tensed up but quickly shook it off, he looked down and quietly finished his food. Noticing his brother's sudden change in mood, Ven decided to change the subject.

After they finished eating, Roxas went to wash the dishes, Ven tried to help his brother but ended up getting kicked out of the kitchen after drenching Roxas in soapy water. Ven sighed, "are you sure you don't need help?"

Roxas held up his soapy hands, dissuading the young boy. "Yeah, I'm sure"

KH

"Namine!" The old scholar's authoritative voice called out to his granddaughter after fixing the knot on his tie.

"I'm coming," the blonde girl replied in haste. She looked in the mirror one last time, deciding that she looked good enough, not too revealing as to attract her grandfather's criticism, nor too unfashionable, she grabbed her bag and headed to the front lobby.

"Young lady, we are almost late," the old professor complained. "Do you want to be tardy for your first day in your new school?"

Namine shook her head. "No grandfather." The girl straightened her white dress, swatting away the pieces of lint that have stuck themselves onto her. "I really want to make a good first impression."

The old professor slipped into his lab coat and opened the door, signaling to his granddaughter to star walking. "If you want to make a good impression, then tardiness will not help you." Namine lowered her head as she followed her grandfather to their car.

While they made their way through the estate's front lawn, Namine grabbed her sketchbook out of her bag. She started sketching the gardens that littered the lawn, she inspected the blooming flowers intensely as insects hovered above the colorful flora. The old professor watched his granddaughter work, he raised his eyebrow and started talking again. "Do you still have that? I thought I told you nothing will come out of having that." Namine ignored his criticism, focusing on her sketchbook instead.

As they neared the parked car, their eye-patched driver stepped out of the vehicle and approached the old academic. "Professor Ansem, Even just called, they need you back at the lab, apparently some dude broke in and stole one of your projects. He thinks one your rivals is responsible."

"Do you know what was stolen," the old professor asked with a hint of concern in his voice. He hoped that none his big projects were tampered with.

"Sorry old dude." The driver replied with a sly smile. "You know Even, he's never the one to keep things simple."

Ansem thoughtfully stroked his beard and sighed, "I guessed it can not be helped, Braig take my granddaughter to her school, I will call Dilan to pick me up."

"No problem." The eye-patched driver opened the passenger door, hauling Namine in. The young girl watched her eye-patched driver with suspicion. The presence of her grandfather's apprentice sent chills down her spine, something about him didn't feel right to her as if a dark enigma floated around him wherever he goes.

Ansem waved goodbye to his granddaughter as the car exited the estate. His mind swirled around the incident, his instincts were telling him that this was no simple robbery committed by a jealous colleague. No, he thought, there was something more to this story than meets the eye. Lately his team has been working on highly sensitive experiments that even the military had to get involved. The old man scrunched his eyebrows at the possibility of a greater conspiracy.

KH

"Morning Roxas," a brown haired man greeted the older twin as he stood in front of their tiny house. "So are you guys ready to go?"

"Hey Terra," the blonde smiled, he turned his head expecting to see his brother but only saw an empty room. Roxas sighed, he turned back to the older boy and apologized. "Sorry, but I guess we're gonna have to wait for Ven again. You must be getting tired of spending all your time driving us to school everyday."

"Hey, don't worry about it." Terra patted the boy's head and reassured him. "Besides, I like hanging out with you guys," Terra entered the house and followed Roxas to the living room. Roxas led the older boy to a pair of old couches where they both sat down, he reached for the remote and turned on the television. Terra gazed at the glass screen as Roxas browsed for a good show. "How's school treating you?"

"Same old, same old," the young blonde responded and continued flipping through the channels. "How's work?"

Terra gave a long exhausted sigh, "Apparently there's been a break in at KeyInc. Labs, they asked my team to investigate. Which means I won't have enough time to hang out with Ven and Aqua. I think Aqua might be able to understand but Ven... he's another matter." Ever since Terra joined Twilight Town's security force, he barely have had enough time to spend for his two best friends. Although, Aqua was always sympathetic to him, Ven would whine and complain to the young man.

"KeyInc. Labs?" Roxas curiously asked. "Isn't that were your dad used to work before he retired."

"Yeah, in fact, dad was really close to Ansem, the lead scientist there." Terra humbly answered. "Which reminds me, I heard his granddaughter is moving to your school."

"So?" Roxas leaned back on his seat and kept his gaze on the television.

"Well..." Terra grinned and patted the blonde's back. "I heard she's pretty cute, you might want to ask her out."

"Are you checking out teenage girls now Terra?" Roxas looked at Terra and beamed an accusing grin. "What would Aqua think when she finds out that your cheating on her with a little girl?"

Terra blushed, feeling dirty from Roxas' accusation. "What! No, I didn't mean it that way," Roxas chuckled at the young man, as Terra tried to persuade the young blonde that he had no perverted inclinations. Terra quietly coughed and started to speak again,"And can you keep it down about the Aqua thing. Do you want Ven to hear us?"

Roxas raised his eyebrow. "You mean you haven't told him yet?"

Terra sighed and looked around the room searching for Ven, feeling secure that the younger twin is not present he started to speak again. "We would like to tell him about it but I'm afraid he might think that we're leaving him behind."

Roxas opened his mouth to defend his brother but closed it instead. The two quietly watched the television for a few more minutes before Ven arrived. Roxas glared at the young boy as he entered the room.

"Good Morning, sorry, I made you guys wait," Ven greeted the two older boys, nodding his hand at them.

Terra held up his hand reassuringly. "Hey, don't worry."

Ven humbly smiled and noticed his brother glaring at him. "Sorry Roxas."

Roxas stood up and sighed, "It's okay, let's just go."

Ven was the first one to reach the front door, but as he reached for the doorknob, he paused. "I almost forgot." He turned around to a small table next to the door with the other two following his gaze, he humbly smiled. "Bye mom, bye dad. I'll see you later."

Ven and Terra walked to the car while Roxas stared at the table, he gazed at a picture of a middle-age man and a middle-age woman for a little while longer before deciding to head outside, he bit his lips and quietly said, "Yeah, bye."


	2. No Matter Who Wins

Twilight Town Days

Disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts is the property of Square Enix and Disney.

Chapter 2: No Matter Who Wins

Naminé squirmed at her seat as she glared at her eye-patched driver. She held her sketchbook close to her chest feeling some comfort as she rubbed the edges of the paper. She felt unease traveling alone with the ominous man. She was starting to wish that her grandfather was with her, his criticism were tolerable compared to her driver's eerie persona.

"How do you like living with the old dude so far?" Braig callously asked as he sharply turned left, almost flipping the vehicle over.

Trying to keep her balance, Naminé quickly gripped her seat, tightening the creases of her leather cushion. She turned to the rear-view mirror spotting her driver's piercing eye staring at her. Naminé froze, but she slowly gained confidence to speak. "It's okay, I guess."

Braig let out a heavy chuckle. "The old man never was the one for guests." As they approached a stoplight, the eye-patched driver harshly pressed the break, violently stopping the car. "So has he ever told you what kind of work he does?"

Naminé shook her head in disagreement, "No, he never talks about work in front of me." 

"Figures," Braig mockingly laughed. "The old man's life revolves around his work. No time for anything else," He reached up and adjusted his mirrors, a sly smile was visible from the glass. "It must be an inconvenience for him to have you around."

Naminé clenched her teeth and gripped her sketchbook tightly but she remained silent. The blonde gazed at her driver, fighting the urge to yell at him. Deciding to ignore the man's offensive comments she then turned to her side window. Braig looked back at Naminé, his yellow eyes filled with malice, he grinned at the effect of his words.

When they reached the school, Naminé rushed out the door before the car could make a full stop. She despised her vulgar driver, she thought of reporting him to her grandfather but realized he would only dismiss her accusations as a little girl's overreaction. She sighed heavily as she walked through the winding pathways of her new school.

Braig leaned on his seat and watched the blonde girl walk away, as soon as she was out of sight, he reached for his pocket pulling out his phone. He turned the tiny device on and started dialing a familiar number.

"Hello?" A rough voice answered.

"I've told him." Braig quickly informed the mysterious figure. "Dilan is on his way to pick him up."

"What about the girl? Does she know anything?" The man curiously asked.

"As if." Braig turned his head towards the school, staring at the winding pathway Naminé had taken. "She doesn't know anything about the old dude."

"That is inconvenient. This is going to delay our plans." Braig heard a disappointed sigh. "But not to worry, there are other paths that we could take. Now, get back to the lab, Ansem should be arriving soon. And make sure you get there on time, we don't want any suspicions; I still have appearances to keep up."

Braig laughed at the man's remark and slowly placed his phone back in his pocket. The eye-patched man turned on his engines and quickly drove off, all the while smirking at what will happen next.

KH

Naminé stood in the middle of a crowd, she tucked a strand of her long blonde her hair out of her face as she anxiously stared at the giant clock towering over the school. She did not think she would be this nervous when she agreed to move to a new town. She assured herself that people are going to be nice to her, quietly repeating that she's going to make lots of friends. She sighed nervously as she slowly walked closer to the large metal doors, skillfully slipping through the throngs of student while silently excusing herself to each and every person she passed by.

When she reached the doors, her mind raced back to her old home. She wondered how her friends were doing, if they miss her as much as she's missing them. She thought of a beach with a flushed redheaded girl running after a spiky-haired prankster, while a silver-haired boy looked on with an amused grin on his face. She softly closed her eyes and smiled at the thought.

Naminé gently opened the steel doors, slowly stepping into her new school. She walked through the crowded hallway, diligently observing her cheerful classmates. She sighed contently, feeling a little more comfortable at her new environment. Her left hand reached into her pockets, pulling out a folded piece of paper. She opened the note and quietly read her room number and a crudely drawn map next to it.

As she navigated through the building, searching for her homeroom, she started thinking of her parents and the events leading up to her living with her grandfather. She was petrified when her parents informed her that she would be leaving her friends, school and tiny little island to move in with her grandfather in the large and unfamiliar city. They stated that their constant business trips meant a lack of adult supervision for her, they arranged for her to attend school in Twilight Town while her grandfather looked after her. She sharply refused, arguing that she would have trouble making new friends. But her parents have already decided, urging her that she would make lots of new friends. A week later she was at the docks having a heartfelt farewell with her friends; the spiky-haired brunette tearing up, the redheaded girl enveloping her in a gentle hug and the silver-haired boy wishing her the best. As soon as she boarded the boat, she turned her body toward the trio, waving at her friends for the last time with streaks of tears flowing down her cheeks.

When Naminé finally found her classroom, she woefully sighed. She reluctantly grabbed the doorknob and slowly turned her hand.

KH

Roxas turned the dials on his lock one last time before a faint click was heard, he unhooked the instrument from his locker and quickly opened the metallic door.

"You know, you really have to clean out you locker someday," Ventus leaned next to his brother and gazed at the utter mess in front of him. "If Olette saw this, she'll freak."

Roxas lightly shrugged. "She's not here, is she?" The older twin replied as he rummaged through the pile of mess he called a locker, sorting out all the materials he would need for the day. "By the way, isn't you locker right next to hers?"

"It is," Ven sighed and anxiously rubbed the back of neck as if he was reminded of an uncomfortable memory. His mind wondered to another of his friend, this time to an overconfident boy, he lightly chuckled. "Funny thing is, when I first got it Hayner practically begged me to switch lockers with him. I would've switched, if only his locker wasn't so far from my classes."

"Poor Hayner." Roxas chuckled at his friend's not so-subtle-crush.

"Poor Hayer what?" A cocky-looking boy clapped a hand on Ven's shoulder but retreated when Ven leaped in surprise. "Sorry to scare you, Ven," the boy apologized, as he gave a friendly wave to the two brothers whom waved back.

"It's okay Hayner," Ven glared at his brother as the older boy quietly snickered behind his locker.

"So what are we talking about?" Hayner curiously asked.

"Oh nothing," Ven carefully smiled at the boy, attempting to avoid any mention of his friend's crush. "We we're just talking about-"

"-You're crush on Olette," Roxas nonchalantly interrupted and smirked at his friend's crimson face.

Hayner's eyes widened as a hot blush reddened his face. "I-I don't know what you're talking about," the boy ruffled his blonde hair and looked up at the ceiling as he tried to avoid his friend's snickering face.

Ven glowered at his brother and gave an apologetic look to Hayner. "Don't worry Hayner, your secrets safe with us. Right, Roxas?" The younger twin lightly elbowed the older boy forcing him to apologize.

Roxas beamed a dubious smile at the flustered boy. "Yeah, you can trust us."

Hayner reluctantly sighed and turned to the older twin. "So... uh Roxas, are you ready for next week's tournament," the boy quickly lost all of the redness off his face, voicing a more serious tone.

"Yep," Roxas confidently answered, slamming his locker door in the process. "Just eight days to go."

Hayner nodded in agreement as he led his friends through the hallway."You and I have to make the finals, that way, no matter who wins the five of us, you, me,Ven, Pence and Olette, split the prize." Hayner came to a halt and lifted his forearm up towards Roxas, waiting for the blonde to seal his challenge.

Roxas smiled at his best friend. He followed Hayner's gesture and confidently bumped his forearm against his friend's. "Okay! You're on!"

KH

Pence wiped the lenses of his camera with a semi-wet cloth, he carefully cleansed the edges of the glass and gently blew the dust away every now and then. He slowly gazed at the clock and wondered were his friend could be. "Looks like Ven is not going to make it," the chubby boy turned to the girl next to him.

Olette diligently sat at her desk, cautiously taking notes on her textbook. "He'll be here soon," she carefully turned the pages, keeping her focus on her studying. "I saw him with Roxas and Hayner this morning. He probably got lost again." The brunette quietly giggled. It has almost become a daily ritual for the twin; Ven would follow Roxas and Hayner to their classroom, he would then sprint across the school, quickly navigating the narrow hallways and avoiding other almost-latecomers. He would bolt into his room and quickly take his seat, but in his haste, he would misread the room number and enter the wrong class.

Seconds before the bell could ring, a boy with sun-kissed hair dashed into the room. Pence and Olette watched the boy scramble to his seat, clearly exhausted from all his running. He gasped for air and wearily waved his hand at two friends. "Good morning."

Pence cheerfully waved back as the blonde took his seat in front of him. "You're just in time."

"That's a relief." Ven sighed contently, the thought of another day of detention made him cringe. "I got sidetracked on my way here."

"You went to the wrong room again, didn't you?"

"Yeah," Ven rubbed the back of his head, a slight blush visible in his face. His two friends laughed profusely at the boy, making him blush even more. He turned his body away from his friends and towards the front of the room. He laid his head on his desk while giving a tired yawn. He quickly propped his head when he heard the door slowly open, he turned around and spotted a lock of blonde hair whiff by. A girl slowly entered the room, holding a large sketchbook close to her chest, the boy slowly gulped as he felt a slight tingling in his stomach. The girl timidly eyed her classmates and realized everyone was watching her. Ven notice a slight blush form in her cheeks and thought it was cute.

The girl slowly walked towards the teacher across the room and handed him a piece of paper. The man quickly read the note and nodded, he turned towards his class and introduced the girl as Naminé. Naminé weakly smiled and greeted her new classmates. "Nice to meet all of you."

"Since Naminé is new to the school, can someone volunteer to show her around during lunch? It would help her to get used to living in this town," the teacher looked at his silent class, searching for would-be volunteers.

"I'll do it," Ven promptly jumped out of his seat, startling everyone. Olette raised her eyebrow at the blonde while Pence howled beside her. When the spiky-haired boy finally realized his sudden action, he felt his face heat up and gently sat back down, he kept his crimson face away from the stunned girl in front of the room and murmured, "I can do it."

Their instructor thanked the blonde boy and smiled at Naminé, he lightly tapped the girl's back, leading her to an empty seat next to Ven. Naminé gently bent down to her seat, she turned to the flustered boy next to her and smiled. "Hi."

Ven eyed the young girl and grinned. "Hi, I'm Ven."

KH

During lunch, Ven walked Naminé around the school, giving her an in-depth tour of the building. When he led her to the art room, he realized that she loved art, she showed him her sketchbook and smiled when she spotted the awe in his face.

"These are amazing," Naminé blushed at Ven's compliment as they walked down the path. They were outside, walking along a large garden in front of the school. Naminé glanced around, watching each color pass by her; she was awed by the beauty of the garden; although her own garden was bigger, the school's had more diverse plant-life. She inhaled deeply, taking in the scent of dandelions, roses, and the occasional waterlily.

"How can you draw so well?" Ven asked out loud, snapping Naminé back into reality. The boy analyzed the sketches, ignoring the beautiful scenery around him but rather astonished by the fine details and realism the girl's hands can produce.

Naminé blushed and quietly smiled. "I've been drawing since I was little."

"Well, it shows," Ven grinned at the young girl, awed by her talent. His artistic ability could never match hers, the best he could do were unimaginative stick people.

Ven walked Naminé along the side of the school, his eyes never faltering away from the girl or her sketches. When they came to a foot bridge overlooking a small river, he suddenly stopped and pointed to his left. "Let's go around."

Naminé's brows furrowed in bewilderment. "But the doors are right there." She gestured her hands to the other side of the bridge, she could see the front doors and parking lot close by.

"Yeah, well..." Ven sighed in defeat, he hoped he did not have to tell her the darker side of the school. During their tour he showed her his loyalty to his town, the boy told her about the brighter side of Twilight, from the colorful gardens that surrounds the school, to the playful beaches and parks just south of the town and to the majestic view of the school's clock tower. "Naminé, not everyone here are as friendly as me, theirs a group of kids who call themselves Twilight Disciplinary Committee. They say they keep order around the town, but I think they're just a bunch of bullies," Naminé noticed a sense of frustration in the boy's voice. "And they consider that bridge as their turf, so we better stay away."

Naminé followed Ven, aghast by his words. A bit shaken, she could not believe that this town had, to her view, a gang problem. After meeting Pence, whom gladly showed her his camera; Olette, whom formed an instant friendship with the blonde; and of course Ven, whom she thought of as the kindest person she has yet met, she viewed the town as friendly and carefree, but Ven's words have put those thoughts in doubt. She sighed restlessly as the boy led her around the creek.

Ven noticed her discomfort and felt guilty for scaring her. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you like that. All of us are not like them you know," the boy apologized profusely, explaining to the girl that most of the resident of the town are friendly and amiable.

Naminé looked at the boy and smiled, "I know. In fact you've been helping me a lot with adjusting to the town. Thanks you."

Ven raised his thumb at the girl and grinned. "No problem."

KH

The bell chimed loudly across the school; marking the end of a long day. Roxas cautiously stepped out of his classroom as a rush of students headed for the doors. Hayner walked beside the older twin, poorly avoiding the throngs of people. "Hey, watch it!" He shouted at his passing classmates who clearly ignored the boy's warning. Hayner sighed in frustration as he followed the older twin. "Are you gonna meet us at the usual spot? Olette's buying ice-cream."

"Not today," Roxas sighed disappointingly as he craved for the salty and sweet taste of sea-salt ice-cream. "I have to go to the Struggle store to get some supplies."

"For the tournament?" Hayner curiously asked the young boy, wondering why he hasn't readied his equipment sooner.

Roxas nodded , "I have to get a new helmet, since mine broke after last night's practice, and the padding on my bat ripped. So I have to get that replaced." Roxas stopped when he neared his locker. He quickly opened the metal container and pulled out a skateboard.

Hayner tightened a fist and clapped it with his other hand. "We better make sure we're ready for next week. We don't want to lose on the first round."

Roxas murmured in agreement, they have been practicing day and night for the contest, determined to claim victory. Last year, they came close to winning, although Hayner lost in the semifinals, Roxas was able to make it to the championship. Unfortunately, the head of the Disciplinary Committee struck him down before he could make a move. Roxas cringed at the thought; it was humiliating defeat for the boy, which only increased his drive to win this year.

As the two walked by the art room, Hayner was the first one to speak. "By the way, why didn't Ven join this year? He's usually the first one to sign up." When it comes to events such as the Struggle tournament, Ven would always be the one with the most energy and enthusiasm. Although Ven never makes it to Hayner's or Roxas' level, he would still eagerly participate.

"Well, since they changed this years rules," Roxas timidly scratched his neck, knowing full well that he was partly to blame for his brother's absence. "I had to get Terra and Aqua to sponsor me but Ven could only get Eraqus'." After last year's competition; a new head was introduced to the tournament committee; he revamped the contest to make it look more like the professional league by adding player sponsors; and one of the rules was that no person can sponsor more than one person.

"That's too bad," Hayner walked closely beside him, tucking his hands into his pockets. "It won't be the same without him."

When they reached the exit, they waved goodbye to one another; Hayner sprinted towards the Usual Spot, while Roxas stepped on his skateboard, and rolled towards the Struggle Store. Deciding to skip the crowds, Roxas made his way through the school garden, but as he approached the garden, he spotted a girl holding a sketchbook standing on a stone footbridge. In front of the unfamiliar girl were three very familiar youths, Roxas cringed when he recognized their faces. He gazed at the girl as she gripped her sketchbook closer to her chest; her lips trembling and her bright blue eyes widening in fear. As he moved closer, he could hear their conversation and realized that the girl was in trouble. Roxas dashed towards the group, pushing his board faster as he got closer.

KH

Naminé shrank in fear as a brash boy towered over her, his hair hidden behind his black hat, he held a struggle bat behind his head as he examined the young girl. Another boy leaned behind him, his muscular fists randomly punching in the air; Naminé cringed at the sight of the brute. There was another person in the trio, a blue-haired girl, her left eye covered by her metallic hair while the other eye shined a distinctive crimson; she leaned against the railing, indifferent of her other two friends.

"Like I said, what are you doing in our turf?" the boy with the struggle bat asked frightened girl. The boy seemed to be the leader of the group, his aggressive voice brought the attention of the other two. "I've never seen you around here, are you new or something?"

Naminé remained silent, clutching her sketchbook even close to her chest. She tightened her grip, creating permanent creases on the fragile paper. For her first day in this school, she didn't plan int getting bullied by anyone. She remembered Ven's grim warning, but in her haste to get home, she did not realize she was moving through the school garden and heading for the bridge. But when she finally recognize her surroundings, the trio had already pounced on her and started interrogating the poor girl.

"Yo Seifer," the muscular boy tapped his leader on the shoulder and then pointed to Naminé. "I think I saw her hanging out with Ven this morning. Y'know?"

"Enemy," the blue-haired girl suddenly spoke, her blood-colored eye striking the blonde.

Seifer nodded. "We we're gonna go easy on you, since your new and all. But, since your friends with those chicken-wuss, I guess we have no choice." He looked back at his other two companions and gestured his head towards the girl.

Naminé backed away but was stopped by the bridge's railing. She watched the trio move closer as a flash of yellow zoomed by, knocking Seifer to the ground.

"Ven!" Naminé gazed at the boy as he rolled his skateboard back towards the group, smirking at the trio.

Seifer quickly stood back up, quickly shaking his head. He glared at the boy and aggressively pointed his bat at him. "You're gonna pay for-"

"Stop!" The blue-haired girl suddenly blocked the furious boy, spreading her ours out to prevent the boy from striking.

"Get out of the way Fuu," Sefeir angrily demanded.

"Tournament, injury," Fuu confidently asserted.

"Fuu's right," the muscular boy agreed with his female friend, gently pushing the bat away from Seifer. "We can't afford you getting hurt. Y'know?"

"Rai," Seifer stared and his friends and grumbled, he turned his head back to the blonde boy and glared at him. "You win this round, chicken-wuss, but next week at the tournament, I'm not gonna go easy on you."

The trio retreated, leaving Naminé and the blonde boy alone. Naminé sighed in relief, she gazed at the boy and graciously smiled. "Thank you Ven, I don't know what I would have done if you didn't save me."

The boy turned towards the girl and raised his brow. "My name isn't Ven." Naminé tilted her head in confusion. She stared at the him; although the boy looked identical to Ven, she noticed that unlike Ven's bright eyes, his were a deeper shade of blue. He did not have the same cheerful voice as Ven but more of a serious tone. The boy noticed the girl staring at him and flushed. "I'm Roxas, Ven's brother."

Author's Comment

Ooh, finally they meet! I hope you guys liked it. Because of school and research stuff, it took a while to finish this chapter, which is why I'm surprised I wrote so much. Also, I'll keep trying to update at least once a month, so anticipate a lot of drama to occur for our main characters. The struggle tournament is just the beginning.

From time to time I'm going to post up these comments so I can clarify any confusing parts, convey the meaning of the chapter and ask you guys for reviews/suggestions.

You may have noticed already that the title of this and the previous chapters are lines from the games. Also you might be wondering if the title is a line from the games, then why isn't more in the lines of "I Wanted to Meet You" (Namine's first words to Roxas), or "Let's Meet Again, In The Next Life, (Axel's line after his fight with Roxas), since the chapter is about introductions of the main and secondary characters and first contact between our primary characters. Well, first of all, those titles are too long for fanfiction to accept, the website has a limit for titles, just in case you didn't know. Secondly, this chapter is not about meetings and introductions but rather the start of bunch of competitions, from Roxas' and Seifer's contentions, to Roxas' and Ven's rivalry for a blonde girl. This chapter was meant to convey friendship and competition along with romance. I hope that was clearly shown in my writing style but also the interactions between the characters.

Also a shout out to Fyrrian for reviewing. Thank You!


	3. I Am A Servant Of The World

Twilight Town Days

Disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts is the property of Square Enix and Disney.

Chapter 3: I Am A Servant of the World

Roxas watched the three bullies walk away; keeping himself alert in case they come back. He heard a murmur behind him and quickly turned around. He spotted the girl with a gracious smile plastered on her face. They both stared awkwardly at each other until the girl spoke, "Thank you Ven, I don't know what I would have done if you didn't save me."

Roxas raised his brow at the girl as he bent to the ground, grabbing his skateboard and placing it in-between his arm.

To Roxas, being mistaken for his brother is a daily occurrence but he has never gotten used to it. "My name isn't Ven," he replied; the girl's gaze making him insecure. He gulped and his face felt hot as a deep shade of crimson flowed through his cheeks. "I'm Roxas, Ven's brother," the boy awkwardly introduced himself; rubbing the back of his neck in the process.

Naminé felt the rush of embarrassment flow through her, she bowed her head to the boy and repeatedly apologized. "Sorry! I didn't know. He never told me he had a brother, and you two look the same."

"Well, twins tend to look alike," Roxas spoke, chuckling a bit at the awkwardness of their situation. Naminé's flushed even more and apologized again, Roxas clapped her shoulders in comfort, soothing the girl.

Naminé sighed, his touch oddly calming her down. She held her hand towards her chest and introduced herself, "I'm Naminé. Thank you for saving me back there."

"My pleasure," Roxas smirked at the girl. "Those three are always looking for someone to pick on; somebody had to put them in their place," he looked around for any sign of Seifer or his gang. When he realized they were gone, he turned back to Naminé. "So how do you know Ven?"

"I'm in the same class as him. I just moved in from Destiny Island and Ven's been helping me adjust." By now, the two blondes have started walking away from the bridge and towards the parking lot; Roxas confidently leading the young girl.

"Then you've already met Pence and Olette?" Roxas asked, keeping close to Naminé just in case Seifer decides to come back. His heart raced as the distance between them diminished.

Naminé nodded, "They've been really friendly to me, Ven especially. When I first moved into town I was a bit afraid." Naminé lowered her head; a bit shocked about how outright she could be with the boy. She could not explain her feelings; it might have be due to him saving her but she felt comfortable around spiky-haired teen.

Roxas looked at Naminé, feeling pity for her. "It must be hard to leave your home behind, I can't imagine leaving Twilight Town for a strange place." Although he had never gone far enough from his town to get homesick, he understood that moving away from your home, friends and family would take a great toll on a person.

"At first, it was," Naminé answered in a solemn voice. "And its still is, but I think I can manage. Especially when I have people looking out for me." She quickly turned to him and cheered up; beaming a grateful smile at him.

Roxas blushed at her smile; stumbling a bit as he kept his gaze at the girl. He was perplexed at the effects this girl was having on him; his heart fluttered endlessly as they walked.

When they reached the parking lot, Naminé's phone began to ring. She reached into her pocket and gazed at her it; alerting her of a message from her grandfather. She read the text and scrunched her face; sighing in frustration.

Roxas noticed Naminé's change of mood and became concerned. "Is something wrong?"

Naminé sighed, looking nervously around. "It looks like nobody is picking me up, so I'm going to have to walk home." She grimaced, examining the neighborhood around her, trying to figure out which street leads to her house. Unfortunately for her, directions were never her forte. She turned back to the boy, keeping her head lowered, "I have to walk home," she whispered, "but I don't know which way home is."

Roxas heard her whisper; feeling sympathetic towards her. After her run-in with Seifer, the last thing he wanted to happen was for her to walk alone, and to top it all, her unfamiliarity with the town could easily get her lost. That's when he had an idea; he looked attentively at the girl and inhaled; blushing as he spoke, "Then." Roxas gulped as he tried to find the right words. "I..I'll walk you home, if you'd like," Roxas stuttered nervously; facing away from the girl as he tried hide the redness of his face. "Where do you live?"

Naminé was alarmed at his remark, feeling guilty for getting him tangled up in her troubles. She shook her head, not wanting to trouble him. "Sunset Terrace, but you don't have to walk me home. I'm fine by myself and I'm sure you have better things to do."

Naminé tried to persuade the boy, but Roxas kept persisting, "I don't have anything important planned for the day, so come on." Roxas suddenly took her hand and led her towards Sunset Terrace; he was stunned by his own actions, blushing ferociously as he felt her soft hand in his.

Naminé yelped in surprise at his sudden action but soon found herself relaxed. Her heart beat erratically, as she felt the strong grip of his hand and yet she found his touch strangely comforting. Her face drew a shy smile as she followed him, her hand in his; blushing along the way and letting her grip on her sketchbook loosen.

KH

Ansem watched the crowd listen to him; his deep voice rumbling the large auditorium. "The body is but a container of the heart and the soul, two mysterious entities that brings life and emotion to all. We know so much about the human being, yet we know little about being human; what makes us tick, what triggers and supports memory and what creates life and emotions. Some believe in a divine entity while others try to find a mechanical and biological source. But one thing is for sure, the mechanics of the heart and soul will remain a mystery for the time being, but until then we as scientists are a servant to the world, and should strive for answers on the countless questions regarding the heart and soul."

The room erupted in applause as Ansem concluded his lecture; his stoic face momentarily lifting away as a proud smile overtook him.

As soon as the crowd started to trickle down and questions from colleagues and students diminished, Ansem packed up his notes and papers into his briefcase and left the room. He walked along the white corridors of the building; being greeted and congratulated by passersby.

He passed a room with large round pods encircling the walls. He gazed at them for a second; a heavy feeling loomed over him but he quickly shrugged it off, not wanting to go through past memories.

When he got closer to his office, he heard faint footsteps coming from behind him. He quickened his pace; arriving at his office door and quickly inserting his keys. As the old professor opened the door the footsteps became louder and louder, he turned around and spotted a familiar man in uniform.

Ansem called out to the man; greeting him. "I never thought I would see you in that uniform, Terra," he chuckled at the young man's appearance.

"They wouldn't allow me to wear something looser," Terra chuckled as he tried to loosen the collar of his Twilight Town Security uniform. "So how are you, professor?"

"Busy as usual." Ansem gently patted the young man's back, welcoming him to his office. As soon as he closed the door, he turned back to Terra and spoke. "How about you and your father? I hope you are doing well."

"Dad sends his greetings," Terra looked around the room; observing all the awards and pictures of famous dignitaries. There was an office desk in the middle of the room and around it were three chairs, two on one side an one on the other. Behind the desk was a small window with streaks of sunlight penetrating through it. He looked out the clear glass and could see the whole of Twilight Town. He turned back to the old man and spoke intently. "And as for me, there is a reason why I came here."

"I thought so," knowingly said Ansem. The old professor opened a cabinet door and pulled out a small bottle of bourbon and two glass cups. He filled both cups with alcohol and offered one to Terra. At first the young man politely refused but after much insistence he accepted the offer. "Is this about the break-in?"

"Somewhat, its about what happened 8 years ago." Ansem stumbled; surprised by his answer. He almost spilled his drink when he heard Terra. "I want to know more about Xehanort."

When he heard Terra speak that name, his mind turned back to the room with the white pods. He glared at the young man, answering in a harsh tone, "I haven't heard that name in years, not since the incident." The old professor took a sip out of his drink; he was not in the mood to remember past events that he wanted to forget. "But isn't it better to hear this from Eraqus instead."

"Dad won't tell me a thing," Terra stared at his drink for a while, wondering why his father tried so hard to avoid the subject. "Plus, since your directly involved with the investigation, I figured, I can pry the answers from you much more easily."

"Don't think you can crack me open so easily, boy," Ansem snorted. He turned to the clock at the side of his wall, reminding him that he had to pick up his granddaughter, since all his other apprentices were busy with important research or were being questioned by security. He sighed, "I assume this cannot wait. I have an important appointment to attend to."

"Unfortunately, no," Terra muttered.

Ansem sighed at his answer. "Then if you'll excuse me, I have to message my granddaughter." He quickly took out his phone and began typing.

"The same one you told me about?" Ansem nodded affirmatively at the young man. Terra spotted a picture of a young blonde girl at the corner of the room. He stared at it for a moment and whispered. "She should be same age as their sons."

Ansem heard him; he sealed his orange eyes as a rush of old memories entered his mind. He then pressed the send button on his phone and placed it back into his pocket. He turned to Terra and asked. "So where do you want to begin?"

"Well, I was hoping we could start with Xehanort's disappearance." Terra confidently answered.

Ansem motioned himself behind his desk and sat on his chair. Terra followed suit, sitting on the other side. Ansem poured another pint of alcohol into his and Terra's cups, as he started his story. "I was a researcher in Radiant Garden before I moved into Twilight Town. I was looking into the mechanics of the heart until young upstart noticed my work."

"I presume that's Sora Hikari?" Terra politely interrupted the old man, his curiosity peaking. "The founder and CEO of KeyInc. Labs?"

Ansem nodded. "He said he wanted to create a perfect world for his son." He chuckled; recalling the young man's vision of the future. "A dreamer he is, much like his own child."

Ansem took a sip out of his drink as he reminisce. "He offered me an offer that I couldn't refuse, and I joined his company." He looked down at his table; spotting a picture of a younger version of him and three other people. "There were four of us in our team; me, Eraqus and Xehanort. We were all curious about the machinations of the heart, Xehanort especially."

"And the fourth one?" Terra inquired.

Ansem looked grimly; scrunching his face tight. "After the incident, she decided to leave the company, she did not want to be part of our research anymore. Going so far as to erase her name from all the research papers and documents. She moved to Destiny Islands with her granddaughter and we've never talked since. Hikari is the only one that keeps in contact with her but that's only because his son is friends with her granddaughter."

Terra nodded; listening to every word that came out of the man. Ansem took another sip of his drink and continued with his story. "Our research was giving us phenomenal results, things that we didn't expect to happen, happened. It was all thanks to Xehanort, the man was a genius, respected and honored by all in the field. And to your father, he was like a brother."

Ansem paused, taking a drink out of his cup. "And as our research continued, Xehanort became more and more obsessed, delving deeper and deeper into experiments that were borderline ethical. When we confronted him, he became furious and refused to stop, so we had no choice but to let him go. Humiliated, he left Twilight Town and disappeared. Our research continued, albeit less fruitful."

Ansem leaned back on his chair as he entered the darkest parts of his memories. "It was 8 years ago that he returned. Stating that he has reformed and wanted to join us again, he even showed us his machine that he claimed can analyze and store information about the heart. We looked at his data and were surprised that his research was far more advanced than ours, at first we were suspicious but your father trusted him, and in the end we shrugged it off and decided to welcome him back. But first we had to test his machine."

Ansem turned his chair towards the window; not wanting to face the young man. The light outside darkened as night seeped into the sky, Ansem looked out to see Twilight Town's famous evening sky. He gazed at the different hues of orange and red clashing against the blues in a ballet of supremacy as night and day struggled. He closed his eyes as the memories came back to him. "At that time, I had two apprentices, a young couple with two six year old sons. I believe you know them."

"Ven and Roxas," Terra responded. He jolted when he heard Ansem's words, his gut telling him were this was leading. He wondered whether to let the scientist continue, knowing full well the level of remorse that weighed in the old man's heart.

Ansem nodded at his answer. "The three of us asked them to test the machine, and of course you know what happens next." Terra nodded his head with grim. "After that Xehanort disappeared again. We tried to search for him, but we never found any traces of him."

"I guess I understand now, why dad didn't want to talk about this," Terra deducted. He figured that his father blamed himself for the deaths of Ven and Roxas' parents and going through all those memories were too much for him.

"In the end we have the disappearance of a brilliant man, the deaths of two promising students, and two injured boys." Ansem turned back to Terra; his face filled with dread and yet satisfaction that he was able to share his story. "Guilt affects us all differently. Some of us run away from it." He announced, referring to the fourth member of his team. "While others, like your father, try to find forgiveness and reconciliation. That maybe is why he took guardianship of the boys."

"And you?" Terra tilted his head. "How did you deal with the guilt?"

"Fortunately for me, my work keeps me from feeling guilt."Ansem chuckled lightly; a hint of remorse in his voice.

Author's Comments

Woohoo, I finished early, and the word count is within my goal of 2500-3500 words.

I don't like giving ages to characters, even though its a bit obvious. But for those who want an age, Roxas and Ventus were six, 8 years ago. So, the twins and their school friends, Naminé and her Destiny Island friends are roughly 8 + 6 years old.

Sora Hikari... I don't like using last names when there aren't any in the canon. I try to avoid it as much as I can, that's why I didn't give the fourth member a name, and I never will, even though we'll see her again as the story progress. But, I couldn't get around it, I needed a name and I used the most common one around, which was Hikari. So to all those who are like me, I'm really sorry!

Finally, Thank You Demmy and Victoria5624 for reviewing, it really means a lot XD. And I've updated chapter 2 to fix some grammar mistakes (Thank you again Demmy), so if anyone finds any mistakes or confusion with the story please feel free to point it out, I won't eat you... okay maybe a little nibble but that's all. =P


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